People Australia

John Hamilton Matthews, c 1916 photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

JOHN HAMILTON MATTHEWS, the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Matthews, was born at Cootamundra, New South Wales, on 13th April, 1893.

He was educated at the Sydney Grammar School, and joined the service of the Bank on 28th October, 1910, at Wagga Wagga. His subsequent appointments were to Coolamon in January, 1911; Young in October, 1911; Bathurst in February, 1912; and Cooma in June, 1912.

He enlisted in August, 1914, and after a period of training in Egypt, from December, 1914, to April, 1915, he took part in the landing at Gallipoli on 25th April, 1915, and remained on the peninsula until July, when he was invalided to Malta and England.

In December he returned to Egypt and proceeded to France in June, but was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans at Fleurbaix on 19th July, 1916. He was eventually repatriated to Switzerland in January, 1918. During his service in the A.I.F. he received numerous promotions, and had attained the rank of captain during the month in which he was taken prisoner.